Dental burr holder and sterilizer



J1me 1963 M. w. DIETZ 3, 9

DENTAL BURR HOLDER AND STERILIZER Filed Jan. 6, 1961 Murray Will/27m0129/:

IN VEN TOR.

BY @Mm rat This invention relates to a portable small article housingand storing device which is expressly, but not necessarily, designed andadaptably suitable for expedient use in the office of a dentist.

More particularly, a significant objective and purpose of the device isto provide a busy dentist with a simple, practical and acceptablyefiicient holder and sterilizer for dental burrs and diamondinstruments, for example, contra-angle or miniature sizes.

Briefly, the invention comprises a light weight flatbottom case which ismade of non-magnetic material and is provided with a suitably coveredreceptacle portion the latter having been charged with sterilizingmedia, a disinfectant product (usually a commonly marketed brand ortype), available for use in the receptacle portion. The receptacleportion is preferably of rectangular box-like form. A permanent magnetis mounted for accessible use in said case, said magnet having surfacesfor detachable anchorage of the articles thereon and also havinghandling means positioned exteriorly of the surfaces of the case.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention, the case ispreferably in the form of a rectangular box, that is a box ofnon-magnetic material having an open top base which defines thereceptacle, and having a hingedly mounted cover or lid which is normallyfitted over and closes the receptacle portion. The transverse end wallsof the receptacle portion are notched to provide bearings for journalsprovided on the end portions of an insertable and removable manuallyrotatable shaft.

Then too, novelty is predicated on the shaft with the journals at theends and suitable finger grip at one end, said shaft being a permanentmagnet and having flat faces and said fiat faces having V-shaped orequivalent keeper seats therein to distributively seat the selectivelyusable burrs.

These together with other objects and advantages which Will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a dental burr holder and sterilizerconstructed in accordance with the instant invention.

FIG. 2 is a section on the plane of the longitudinal line 2-2 of FIGURE1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 3 is a cross section on the transverse or vertical line 3-3 of FIG.2.

Referring to the drawing the aforementioned case is portable and has theform of an elongated box which may be said to be oblong or rectangularand which is made of suitable plastic or equivalent material which isnonmagnetic. The hollow base 4 defines the aforementioned receptacleportion for the disinfecting or sterilizing liquid or solution. Thispart comprises a fiat bottom 6, longitudinal or front and rear walls 8and 10 and transverse end walls 12 whose upper central edge portions areprovided with cut-outs or notches 14 which provide bearings for thecentral journals 16 and 18 at the right and left end portions of theinsertable and removable rotatably mounted burr racking and holdingshaft 20. The journal 18 is extended to connect with an appropriateknurled fingergrip 22. The upper part of the casing comprises a atent Glid or cover 24 having a top wall 26, transverse end walls 28 andlongitudinal front and back walls 30 and 32. The back wall 32 ishingedly mounted on the upper edge portion of the rear wall 10 as at 34FIG. 3). The lower straight edges of the end walls rest atop the upperedges of the end walls 12 of the receptacle portion as shown in FIG. 3and again at the left in FIG. 1.

Returning to the burr racking and turning shaft 20 it is to be explainedthat this element comprises an elongated permanent magnet which isrectangular or otherwise polygonal in cross-section and which provides aplurality of flat faces 36 having grooves or open-ended notches 38 forsystematically seating the cooperating portions of the burrs A in themanner shown. If desired, one face of the magnet or shaft may beprovided with an attached plate 40 which has its upper and lower edgesextending slightly above and below the upper and lower surfaces of theshaft and serving as stop flanges. These flanges limit the position ofthe ends of the burrs in the manner shown in FIG. 3. Suflicientsterilizing liquid or a disinfectant solution may be placed in thereceptacle portion so that when the shaft is turned the burrs or otherarticles thereon Will be immersed in the solution and thus sterilized inwhat is believed to be a self-evident manner.

By partially filling the plastic box with a suitable cold sterilizersolution (with rust inhibitor) it is possible to keep the burrscontinuously sterile, yet readily available. They are spaced in theholder in such a manner that instant selection of size and type ispossible without immersing the hand in the sterilizer solution or theuse of thumb forceps. Friction grip, latch-type, or taper-shank burrsmay be stored in this holder. These burrs and diamond instruments, beingmagnetizable, are attracted to and held by the magnetized holding shaftor bar 20. The holding bar 20 rotates 360 on axial journals restingremovably in bearings 14. The burrs, are immersed in sterilizingsolution at 0". The magnetized holding bar or shaft may then be turned180 and sterilized burrs are then accessible for use.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes Willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be restorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use in enclosing and systematically storing a plurality ofreadily accessible magnetizable articles; a portable holder andsterilizer comprising a case made of non-magnetic material and having areceptacle portion adapted to be charged with a prescribed amount ofsterilizing media, and a permanent magnet mounted for accessible use insaid case, said magnet having surfaces for detachable anchorage of thearticles thereon and also having handling means positioned exteriorly ofthe surfaces of the case, said magnet comprising a shaft mounted forrotation within the confines of said receptacle portion, said shaftbeing of a cross-section appreciably less than the cross-section of saidreceptacle portion and being disposed in a plane below the plane of theupper edges of said receptacle portion and a predetermined distanceabove the plane of the bottom of the receptacle portion and functioningin part as a gauge indicative of the proper level of the sterilizingmedia and as such to enable the user to permit the lower half-portion ofthe shaft to contact the sterilizing media and the upper halfportion toassume a plane above the plane of the normal level of the sterilizingmedia.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, and wherein said shaft is polygonalin cross-section, the cross-section being such that it presents readilyavailable and usable planar surfaces, said surfaces being provided atlongitudinally spaced points with selectively usable keeper seats forindividual reception and retention of magnetizable articles, said shaftbeing removably mounted on said receptacle portion in a manner thatittmay be lifted and bodily removed from the case with or without thearticles thereon for checking and otherwise keeping an eye on the supplyand condition of said articles.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 and wherein said shaft is providedon one side with a longitudinally extending fixedly attached plate, saidplate being of a cross-section greater than the cross section of theshaft and having longitudinal flanges constituting stops for cooperatingends of the burrs.

4. For use in enclosing and systematically storing a plurality ofmagnetizable dental bur-rs, a burr holder and sterilizer comprising anelongated case made of nonmagnetic material and having a flat bottomreceptacle portion with end Walls, the upper central portions of saidend walls being provided with notches, said notches opening throughupper edges of said upper central portions and providing bearings, acover hingedly mounted on one Wall of the receptacle portion andnormally covering the otherwise open top thereof, an insertable andremovable elongated bar of magnetized metal constituting a shaft and ofa length corresponding with the length of the receptacle portion andarranged in said receptacle portion and having journals at its endsjournalled for rotation in said bearings and also provided at one endwith a fingergrip, said shaft being non-circular in crosssection andhaving flat faces provided with V-shaped notches and said notchesconstituting seats for reception of insertable and removable burrs ofniagnetizable material, said shaft being provided on one lengthwise sidewith an attached plate commensurate in length with the shaft and havinglongitudinal edge portions projecting respectively beyond adjacentcooperating surface portions of the shaft and functioning as limit stopsfor cooperating end portions of the burrs, said edge portions definingflanges, the latter bridging and closing the adjacent cooperating endsof said V-shaped notches.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,187,364 Monnot June 13, 1916 1,446,921 Montag Feb. 27, 1923 1,820,517Wells Aug. 25, 1931 1,953,609 Humburg Apr. 3, 1934 2,474,621 FedericoJune 28, 1949 2,666,220 Sutch Jan. 19, 1954 2,667,394 Goetz et a1. Jan.26, 1954 2,984,344 Weissman May 16, 1961

1. FOR USE IN ENCLOSING AND SYSTEMATICALLY STORING A PLURALITY OFREADILY ACCESSIBLE MAGNETIZABLE ARTICLES; A PORTABLE HOLDER ANDSTERILIZER COMPRISING A CASE MADE OF NON-MAGNETIC MATERIAL AND HAVING ARECEPTACLE PORTION ADAPTED TO BE CHARGED WITH A PRESCRIBED AMOUNT OFSTERILIZING MEDIA, AND A PERMANENT MAGNET MOUNTED FOR ACESSIBLE USE INSAID CASE, SAID MAGNET HAVING SURFACE FOR DETACHABLE ANCHORAGE OF THEARTICLES THEREON AND ALSO HAVING HANDLING MEANS POSITIONED EXTERIORLY OFTHE SURFACES OF THE CASE, SAID MAGNET COMPRISING A SHAFT MOUNTED FORROTATION WITHIN THE CONFINES OF SAID RECEPTACLE PORTION, SAID SHAFTBEING OF A CROSS-SECTION APPRECIABLY LESS THAN THE CROSS-SECTION OF SAIDRECEPTACLE PORTION AND BEING DISPOSED IN A PLANE BELOW THE PLANE OF THEUPPEEER EDGES OF SAID RECEPTACLE PORTION AND A PREDETERMINED DISTANCEABOVE THE PLANE OF THE BOTTOM OF THE RECEPTACLE PORTION AND FUNCTIONINGIN PART AS A GAUGE INDICATIVE OF THE PROPER LEVEL OF THE STERILIZINGMEDIA AND AS SUCH TO ENABLE THE USER TO PERMIT THE LOWER HALF-PORTION OFTHE SHAFT TO CONTACT THE STERILIZING MEDIA AND THE UPPER HALFPORTION TOASSUME A PLANE ABOVE THE PLANE OF THE NORMAL LEVEL OF THE STERLIZINGMEDIA.